


Colours

by Flamingo_strikes23



Category: Assassination Classroom
Genre: 3-e being a family, Comfort, Fluff, Found Family, Gen, Humor, Mentions of past abuse, Mild Angst, emotional breakdowns, friendships, recovering from abuse, slice-of-life
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-05-21
Updated: 2021-01-17
Packaged: 2021-03-03 05:48:42
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 11
Words: 12,946
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24309994
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Flamingo_strikes23/pseuds/Flamingo_strikes23
Summary: Every memory 3-E carries with them into the future is layered in vivid colors, all thanks to Korosensei and what that experience brought them. Sometimes they're less than pleasant and icy, dipped in cold tones and unpleasantness. Other times, they're warm and bright, the kind of memories that bring happiness. They're unforgettable, and prove as examples of the bonds they forged in that class together.
Relationships: Akabane Karma & Nakamura Rio, Akabane Karma & Okuda Manami, Akabane Karma & Shiota Nagisa, Akabane Karma & Sugino Tomohito, Chiba Ryuunosuke & Hayami Rinka, Chiba Ryuunosuke & Nakamura Rio, Irina Jelavić/Karasuma Tadaomi, Kanzaki Yukiko & Okuda Manami, Kayano Kaede & Okuda Manami, Kayano Kaede & Shiota Nagisa, Kayano Kaede & Sugino Tomohito, Shiota Nagisa & Sugino Tomohito
Comments: 8
Kudos: 95





	1. Moving Day

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Irina and Karasuma's first day of living together...just simple fluff.

“Alright, I think that’s all of it.” Dusting off his palms, Karasuma stood and surveyed the apartment. Packed boxes covered the floor in the living room, all containing Irina’s belongings.

They were finally going to live together.

He hummed to himself in thought. It would be best to get the bulk of her things unpacked by the end of the day, especially personal supplies, like clothes. But where was his... _roommate_ now? “Irina?” He called.

“Outside!” He heard her faintly, and approached the front door with slight apprehension. What on earth was she outside for if everything was -

“No,” He said immediately, at the sight of twenty more boxes laying in the hallway of his apartment building, right outside the door. “Irina, I said pack the essentials, not every single thing you own!”

Irina rolled her eyes, unperturbed. “These _are_ the essentials,” she stated dismissively. “Believe me, if I packed every _single_ thing, the number of boxes would exceed my kill count.”

He rubbed the bridge of his nose, a familiar mix of exasperation and fondness growing. “You’re an assassin. How do you even own that many things?”

She inclined her head slightly, lips curving up. “Sugar daddies, obviously,” she replied casually.

Karasuma groaned and swiftly turned back inside the apartment. “You’re unbelievable.”

He could hear her laughing as she followed him inside. “Aww, no need to get jealous, honey!”

He rolled his eyes. “I’m not jealous.”

She eyed him. “You totally are.” Before he could refute that, she continued, smirking as her gaze fell downwards, “But I’m sure _you_ could give me something better than all those gifts combi - OOF!” He had pushed a box right into her arms.

“Stop talking. Now,” he uttered darkly. “And take that into the room please.”

Irina scowled, but complied. “You’re no fun,” she complained, heading to her room. Karasuma rolled his eyes and followed her, lifting three boxes on his own. Irina was now going to stay in his old room, and he opted to move out and take the guest room instead. It just seemed logical since she had more belongings and needed more private space, but Irina’s face had stayed bright pink for at least three hours after he offered. It was a medium-sized bedroom, with a queen bed sitting in the middle in front of large windows. Black-out curtains sat to the side of the glass, giving a shadowy tint to the room. The closet was fairly spacious, but it would soon be cluttered with Irina’s extensive collection of accessories. A large white dresser sat to the side for more clothing storage. That was new, since he had only needed the closet for his work clothes, t-shirts, and sweats. Maybe, she would notice that he got it for her -

“Oh, no,” Irina muttered, dropping the box haphazardly on the floor.

Karasuma nearly did the same, but caught himself. “What do you mean, ‘oh, no’?”

“This room is _way_ too dark! We need to get new curtains, bedding, fur carpets, and a vanity!”

Karasuma watched her warily. “...Fur carpets?”

Irina winked at him. “Faux fur. I may be an assassin, but that would be pretty messed up once we get the dog.”

“What dog?”

Irina rolled her eyes but smiled at him, her face tinted pink. “You dense idiot,” she said fondly, leaning up to kiss him on the cheek. She pulled away, averting her gaze. “I love the dresser but it doesn’t match the room at all. So I’m just gonna change everything else to complement it,” she declared firmly.

A small smile had formed on Karasuma’s face as he watched her, affection growing inside him. “Alright then,” he said simply, at a loss for words.

Irina turned and headed for the kitchen. “Want some coffee?” She called. “I have a pretty nice espresso maker from Italy~” There was a pause. “It’s just in one of these boxes... _somewhere_.”

Karasuma rolled his eyes, but his smile widened. Living with Irina would have its challenges, but there were _way_ more good things to come out of it.


	2. Not Alone

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Karma is acting up, and Okuda, being his friend, wants to help somehow.

Manami never considered herself to be the most...observant girl. In chemistry, she could be, but when it came to people...

It always felt like a guessing game. What were they feeling? Thinking? Were they upset with _her_?

She shook her head slightly, feeling anxiety course through her veins at the thought. There was so much _simplicity_ in observing the reactions of chemical mixtures, why couldn’t it be the same for human beings?

She knew why.

But with one person in the class, the boy she felt closest to... well, she could almost read him like a book. 

It was Karma, of course.

Most people would be shocked by that answer, but the truth was that Karma was a fairly open person, despite acting so closed-off.

And yes, she was aware that was an oxymoron.

He never spoke up about how he felt unless it was in his control, like he was challenging someone and was confident in his own victory and strengths. But she could see him clearly hurting, just by his actions and expressions. The subtle nuances that most people, besides Nagisa and a couple others, couldn’t pick out.

She could see the dull rage in his eyes when he received his score and dropped down to 13th place, the way his hands trembled as he clutched his paper under his desk. She could see the flash of guilt on his face that disappeared in an instant whenever he took a joke too far towards someone. She saw how his gaze averted when the class split into groups sometimes, and Karma was left out until she, Nagisa, or Sugino went towards him.

Those were just previous examples. _Now_...well, Karma was hurting in a way she hadn’t really seen from him before.

He came in to school late everyday for the past week, which wasn’t too unusual honestly. He would saunter in, give a casual hello or quip to the class and Korosensei, but his tone was _too_ forced. Somedays, it felt a second away from breaking...but still generally unnoticeable to the class. The smile on his face was tight and he went to his seat, barely saying a word for the rest of the day.

He wouldn’t bring lunch for a couple days at a time...which unfortunately was common. But he wouldn’t even have his beloved strawberry milk on him, and when asked about if he was gonna eat, he simply said, “Nah, not hungry.” It didn’t _seem_ out of character, but Manami saw the pallor of his skin, the loss of fat on his face...It was more than just skipping lunch.

Karma also stopped hanging out with everyone after school and on the weekends. Rather than a usual pastime, it was more occasional and only if Nakamura and Sugino basically dragged him out. He would give a casual “See ya” and be on his way home once school ended and they left the mountain.

Manami wasn’t too sure about this, since it never was a topic of discussion between her and Karma. In fact, it seemed like a part of his life that he wanted to keep _away_ from her. But she overheard it from Isogai one day while she and Kanzaki were studying outside. Apparently, Karma was back to getting into fights everyday, a habit which had died down a bit over the course of their year in 3-E so far. 

All of this, she noticed in the past week. And now, she was determined to help in some way. But _how_? Karma wasn’t really talking to anyone at the moment, and she doubted she would be an exception. He was distancing himself more than ever, and she felt at a loss. Their friendship had built up so much in the past few months, she didn’t want to go back to square one and lose him, and the amazing dynamic they built all together in their friend group.

She sighed and hugged her Mole stuffed animal tighter as she lay in bed, pondering. It frustrated her that she was able to balance equations, write out formulas, and create new chemicals...but she was somehow struggling to figure out how to help her best friend, who was clearly unhappy. 

If it would always be like this, did she even... _deserve_ friends? She pushed the thought away and shook her head. No use thinking about that right now, her top priority was Karma. 

The next day, as she was tucking in her blouse and tying her braids up, getting ready for the day, Manami made a decision on what to do.

She waited until lunch to approach Korosensei. Usually, her friends would be split amongst themselves and a few others. Kanzaki ate with Yada, Hara, and a couple others, while Sugino, Nagisa, and Kayano went outside. Karma would join them but lately, he’s claimed the roof or simply going off to some other part of the mountain. 

Korosensei stayed inside on the days he didn’t rush out to get his lunch from another continent. Today, he was in the faculty lounge, nonchalantly humming as he graded papers. Manami took a deep breath before she hesitantly knocked on the already-open door. “Excuse me, sir?”

He looked up at her with his trademark grin. “Ah, Okuda-san! Is everything alright?”

She clasped her hands together without even thinking about it, a habit she had grown to despise and wanted to drop. She wanted to look self-assured even if she wasn’t, and _that_ made her look like a shy, helpless girl. “I..I wanted to ask you something, but can it just stay between us?”

“Of course. What’s said in this room will stay in this room,” he reassured her.

She looked up at him, meeting his friendly gaze. “I’m worried about Karma-kun,” she said softly. “He’s been so distant from everyone, he hasn’t been eating at all, and he just looks so sad...”

She quickly added. “I-I mean, Karma-kun usually does keep things hidden...but I don’t know, I could just tell something is off. We’re all worried, but I don’t want to push him and make him upset. If he wants to tell us, he’ll do it once he’s comfortable.”

Korosensei was quiet for a moment, in thought. Then Manami felt one of his tentacles gently pat her head. “Thank you for telling me, Okuda-san. I’ll try and find a moment later today to talk with him, because that does sound very concerning.”

Manami felt a weight drop off her shoulders, and she smiled softly. “Thank you, sensei. I just want to make sure he’s okay.”

“Of course. I’m glad you spoke up out of concern. Most of your classmates would take the more abrasive route and confront him, but you acknowledged how he feels and want to keep it private. You’re a very good friend, Okuda-san, and Karma-kun is lucky to have you in his life.”

Manami dropped her head, heat rising to her cheeks. “Thank you, Korosensei...” That was still difficult for her believe, but she was just glad he would talk to Karma.

Lunch ended and the day went on as usual. Manami snuck peeks every now and then to a very quiet Karma behind her, looking very disinterested in notes...more than usual, at least.

The end of the day arrived, and she packed her bag, ready to head down the mountain with Takebayashi and a few others. They were halfway down when she looked back behind her, warmth bursting into her chest when she saw Korosensei and Karma’s figures sitting on the roof. They were talking...Karma was telling him what was wrong. _Good!_

Manami had learned a lot of things in her time in 3-E, but the most important thing was how significant communication was, and how it lessened the burdens in one’s heart. Karma may not be ready to open up to her or their classmates, and hopefully Korosensei knew what to do...but as long as he talked to _someone_ , and knew he was _not_ _alone_ , that’s all that mattered.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This wasn't meant to be shippy btw...I personally like Karumana, but I love their friendship even more, and I think that in general matters a lot to Okuda, and it's primarily from her perspective.


	3. Uncover

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> At the Irisuma wedding, there is inexplicably a takoyaki street cart amongst all the classy good food. Mina, an outsider, comes to meet some 3-E students and learn about Korosensei.

“Ah, we’re here. Thank you, sir!” After greeting her driver, Izuki Mina gracefully stepped out of her car. Her silky dark hair was tied up into a tight chignon and her kimono was an elegant shade of orchid. Her heels clacked loudly upon the pavement and she extended a hand towards one of her companions. “Come on.”

6-year old Nako grumbled under her breath, taking it anyways. She looked absolutely precious in her pink dress and space buns, which Mina had accomplished after two hours of fighting her. “Can’t we just turn around now?” She whined. “I wanna go home. This is gonna be so boring.”

Before Mina could respond, Rise replied, “Now, sweetie, that’s not the right attitude to have. Be respectful, we were invited to this wedding.” The older woman, Nako’s mother and Mina’s elder sister, gracefully followed them. 

Mina still had a hard time accepting whose wedding this was. She honestly believed hell would freeze over before _Karasuma Tadaomi_ married someone.

But nope, it was real and happening that very moment. His soon-to-be-wife was also unbelievable. She was a foreign beauty, apparently his co-worker too? Mina knew very little details… it had been a couple years since she’d spoken to Tadaomi. Their families were friends and they saw each other often, eventually becoming good friends as well. Then Tadaomi left for military training...and simply disappeared. Next thing she knows, he was a part of the whole moon exploding business, became a teacher, and was now getting married? Mina couldn’t wrap her head around it all.

The wedding was a very traditional one...unsurprising considering the Karasuma family. The venue was a beautiful Japanese garden, greenery everywhere and the soft pink of the Sakura trees. A faint babbling was heard as water ran in the stream, and a bridge stood over it. Guests were everywhere, chatting casually as more people trickled in along with them. Mina looked a bit further and saw tables filled with appetizers and small snacks to serve as refreshments. She quietly whistled to herself. _Damn, this is amazing._ It probably was crazy expensive too.

There was a large group of teenagers hanging out in one area of the event, a mixed group of boys and girls. Mina instantly placed them as Karasuma’s former students, from that year he apparently spent as a teacher.

Out of the corner of her eye, Mina spotted Tadaomi, standing with his family. She walked a bit faster, ignoring Nako’s _“Where are you going?”_

“Tadaomi!” She called with a smile.

He looked up instantly, surprise splashing across his face. “Ah, Mina,” he greeted with a small smile. “It’s good to see you.”

His dark hair had been styled and gelled back, leaving his handsome facials open. He was dressed in very nice, classy traditional attire. Mina tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, suddenly feeling self-conscious for some reason. “You too! It’s been a long time.”

He tilted his head slightly, as if considering that sentence. “Yes, it has. How are you?”

Mina gave a light laugh. “How am _I_? How are _you_ , Tadaomi? You’re about to get _married_! Holy shit!”

Tadaomi smiled amusedly. “I’m fine...just a bit eager to get through all this.” He glanced at everything, from the bridge overlooking the water to the bouquets that were everywhere. “It’s...so much.”

Mina sighed. He would always be the same: just his simple, straightforward self. “It’s your wedding, silly. It’s the one day of your life you can splurge and do everything, then go back to normal.”

She looked past him, searching. “By the way, where is the wifey?”

“Ah, she’s talking with our former students.”

Mina raised an eyebrow. Our? So they met on the teaching job...huh. She looked back at the cluster of teens, and lo and behold, the foreign beauty was there. She was gorgeous, with long light curly hair styled to perfection. Her eyes were a vivid blue and her makeup was perfectly applied. Mina couldn’t tell because of the elaborate bridal attire, but she was guessing the woman had a model-esque figure...she looked quite tall too.

_How on earth had **Tadaomi** met this amazing woman?_

“Karasuma!” A voice called, and Mina swiveled around to see two men in dark suits waving him over. Their greeting was casual but they had an air of professionalism surrounding them. Mina assumed they were his government co-workers or something.

Tadaomi saw them too and faintly grimaced. “Ah, I’m sorry, we’ll have to finish catching up sometime later today,” he apologized.

Mina shook her head, smiling. “No, it’s okay! I’ll be around...so whenever you wanna talk, it’s fine.”

He nodded and left to talk to his colleagues. Mina stood there for a moment before feeling a tug at her arm. “What-” Oh, it was just a very ire Nako, scowling. 

“Can we get food please?” She demanded. “Mom told me to ask you to go with me.”

“Where’s your mom?”

“Over there.” Nako gestured to her right, where Rize was talking to Tadaomi’s mother. _Great_. Mina would be stuck babysitting her very grumpy little niece.

“Okay, let’s go,” she sighed.

They made their way past the many guests and towards the tables lined with delicious-looking food. There were so many platters of colorful sushi...Mina had heard a guest mention in passing that it was because it was the bride’s (what was her name again...Ivanka?) favorite food. Mina glanced around, looking at all her options. Her stomach began to grumble in hunger.

Then she saw it. What in the world -

In the midst of all these elegant tables filled with dishes of tasty, delectable, presentable classy food...was a _takoyaki street cart._ It looked so incredibly out of place, Mina actually blinked. Once. Still there. Twice. Ok, nevermind, it was real.

“Oooh! I want takoyaki!” Nako exclaimed, already pulling Mina towards it.

“Hey, wait!”

They were at the end of a line now, in front of the cart. Mina could hear the guests in front of them murmuring about the oddity as well. “Wasn’t expecting this at all, but hey, I love takoyaki,” a young man said to the girl next to him.

“Yeah, same,” she replied in agreement.

Mina sighed, feeling her stomach grumble even more. All she wanted was to dig into the platters of sashimi on the fancy table, not wait in line for takoyaki of all things. She glanced down. At least Nako would stop complaining for a while.

“Oh, man, I can’t believe Okano started crying at _that_ , of all things,” Mina heard from beside them, and a few of the teenagers from earlier were walking by them. There was a tall boy with dark hair, a shorter boy with orange hair that reminded her of mushrooms, a girl with straight purple hair, and the last girl was the shortest with dark curly hair. They were all dressed in appropriate formal attire.

“I know, right?” The purple girl laughed. “Ooh, let’s try the takoyaki from here!”

There was a short pause until the orange mushroom boy agreed. “Yeah!”

Now they were standing right behind Mina and Nako. She turned and politely smiled at them. Maybe they’d have an answer for this out-of-place food. “Hello!”

They jolted for a moment, before returning a bright grin. Well, the orange boy had a small, cute smile but the dark curly girl looked deadpan. “Hello!”

“Ah, you guys are Tadaomi’s old students, right?”

The tall boy smiled and nodded. “Yes, we are! I’m Sugino, and this is Fuwa, Mimura, and Hazama,” he listed them off, gesturing to each kid accordingly. Sugino definitely seemed like a chatterbox, a very friendly charming one too.

Fuwa rubbed her chin, giving Mina an odd look. “Hmm...you call Karasuma-sensei by his first name? How close are you?”

“Fuwa!” Mimura exclaimed in embarrassment. Fuwa struck Mina as someone who was usually unfiltered, judging by his reaction.

“You can’t just ask her that. It’s none of our business,” Hazama sighed, almost sounding apologetic.

“What? I’m just wondering...you guys are, too! Don’t deny it!” she protested. Yep, she definitely didn’t have a filter.

Mina laughed, slightly put off but more amused than anything. “It’s ok! No worries! I’m Mina, and this is my niece Nako. My family is friends with Tadaomi’s, we grew up together for a little bit when we were young,” she explained.

“Ooohh,” they chorused. “Nice to meet you both!” Mina laughed some more. Okay, that was kinda cute.

“Say, do you guys have any idea what this street cart is doing here?” she wondered, deciding to just go for it. She chuckled. “It’s just surprising to see since sushi from the finest place in Japan is sitting right over there.”

They all laughed. Sugino ran a hand through his hair. “Yeah, it is weird,” he agreed. “We were the ones who actually asked for it. Our class, I mean.”

Mina furrowed her brows. “Oh, really? Why?”

Fuwa smiled softly. “Our old teacher, he worked with Karasuma-sensei and Bi-” she paused, looking at Nako. “Jelavic-sensei. He, um, _really_ liked...takoyaki.”

“Yeah, he loved octopi a lot,” Mimura chimed in. “One could say he was basically one himself.”

Mina was slightly lost now. “Like a spirit animal?”

Hazama shrugged. “Yeah, something like that.”

“Oh. Well, that’s cool.”

Hazama gave her a look. “It’s okay, it’s weird. We know.”

Mina wasn’t sure what to say to that. “Um, so tell me more about this teacher! He seems like an interesting guy.”

Sugino laughed. “Yeah, he was definitely interesting. He had a lot of weird habits. He loved junk food, for one. Always blew his teaching money on that.”

“He really liked po-” Mimura paused, glancing at Nako. “Um, magazines. He had a huge collection of them.”

“He used to fry tissues to eat sometimes, because he was so broke,” Fuwa added.

“That’s terrible!” Mina exclaimed.

Hazama waved her off. “Oh, don’t worry, he was okay.”

“He was obsessed with soap dramas,” Mimura continued. “Always used to try and ship us all together to try and emulate them.”

“Oh...that’s a bit odd,” Mina stated politely.

“Yeah, we hated it. We shot him with bb pellets whenever he was being too annoying.”

“Wow, that’s -”

“It’s fine! He encouraged it all the time!”

Fuwa sighed. “Even with all those irritating quirks, he was still the best teacher ever.” The atmosphere had shifted into a more somber, nostalgic one as all the kids looked down slightly.

Sugino nodded. “He always cared about us and looked out for our wellbeing all the time.”

“He was great at explaining concepts, and we even made personalized practice tests for every student,” Mimura added.

Hazama averted her gaze. “He made all of us feel welcome and like we belonged in that class,” she said softly. “Like we were all a piece of one big puzzle, meant to be there from the start.”

“He built a pool for us,” Fuwa sighed again.

Mina blinked. “Wow, he sounds like an amazing person!” She glanced around her. “Is he here? I’d love to meet him!”

The kids stiffened, and she instantly regretted her question. _Stupid Mina! Obviously, something happened or they wouldn’t sound so sad!_ But she’d been distracted by all that they were saying, she’d forgotten.

She took a breath. “I’m sor-”

“No, he’s not here,” Sugino finally spoke. “He...passed away at the end of the year.”

Mina felt her stomach lurch. “I’m so sorry…”

“No, no, you’re fine,” Fuwa replied, shaking her head. “It’s okay.”

Mimura laughed slightly. “You know he would’ve freaking _loved_ it if he were here.”

The other two laughed while Hazama smirked. “He’d be a bawling mess. Probably would badger those two constantly until he got kicked out.”

“He’d insist on personally handling Karasuma-sensei’s hair and styling,” Sugino continued. “But he’d go overboard and mess it up.”

“Seventy-percent of the food would already be devoured,” Fuwa added with a grin.

Hazama raised an eyebrow. “ _Only_ seventy-percent? That’s being generous,” she commented dryly, amusement in her tone.

“True!” They burst out laughing again. Mina smiled, relieved to see that they moved on from her little mishap and weren’t sad anymore.

“Oh, Ms Mina, it’s your turn,” Sugino pointed out, and she turned around to see the vendor waving at her.

“Oops, sorry!” She smiled at them once more before turning to place her order. Hard to believe that the answer to why this takoyaki cart was here was all thanks to an old teacher with odd quirks who liked octopi...and guided a lot of bright, good kids. She definitely would continue that conversation with those four and hopefully get to meet more of Tadaomi’s students.


	4. Location

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Just some friendship and humor between a few of the Group 2 kids on a train.

“ _Jeez!_ This is awful!” Okajima cried as he shot up out of his seat, clutching his phone tight with wide eyes. 

“What is it?” Chiba asked nonchalantly in the midst of drawing blueprint plans on his phone.

_“Cherry Bomb cancelled their Japanese tour!”_

Sugaya furrowed his brow. “Who the hell is Cherry Bomb?”

Nakamura snapped her fingers. “Ohh, they’re a new idol girl group, right? From one of those small companies?” She chimed in.

Okajima nodded. “Yeah, they just debuted seven months ago. And I bought tickets to go to their Yokohama concert!” He wailed.

The train car was mostly empty, but the few people in there, particularly an old woman who frowned at the noise, were starting to look in their direction.

Chiba felt a spark of irritation and quickly shoved Okajima back into his seat. “Sit down! We’re in public, so dial back the pervertness.”

Okajima glowered and leaned the side of his face against his palm on the armrest. “Smut will save the world, I know it,” he said solemnly.

Nakamura burst out laughing as Chiba’s eye twitched at the remark. Sugaya looked like a mixture of bored and disgusted. “Saying shit like that is why girls despise you.”

Okajima simply sighed, closing his eyes for a moment. “Hayami said that to me just the other day, actually.”

Nakamura’s laughter increased as she clutched her sides while the other two joined in. “Why am I not surprised at all?” Sugaya chuckled. “Dude, I don’t think she’ll ever be cool with you. Why keep trying?”

Okajima shrugged. “Honestly, the meaner she is, the more I’m turned on.”

“EW!” The other three yelled collectively while Chiba chucked a snack wrapper at his head. 

He scowled. “I don’t mean that! I mean... yeah, it’s kinda true. But I really do love how tough she is. She doesn’t take _any_ bullshit.” A soft smile tugged at his lips as he looked down.

Nakamura gave him a small, pitiful smile while the other two went quiet. Okajima shrugged. “Well, we’ll never happen anyways. I know that. And that’s the worse part.” His smile faltered. “Liking someone so much and knowing they’ll never feel the same way about you.”

Nakamura’s face fell and she looked away, suddenly tense. Her attention was on the buildings that blurred past them as the train sped through Tokyo. Sugaya grimaced and felt a burst of guilt, while Chiba gently reached for Okajima’s shoulder. “Dude..”

Okajima’s mood changed in an instant, and he was back to happily grinning. “Ah, forget all that! One little crush won’t stop me from making eyes at every girl I meet! My plan was to go to the Cherry Bomb concert and seduce their main vocalist, _Yumi_.” His eyebrows wiggled in a suggestive manner.

Nakamura gagged. “And then she either hits you _literally_ or with a _restraining_ _order_.”

Okajima pointed a finger at her. “No! Then we start dating and get married when she’s 24 and I’m 19!”

“Sureee,” Chiba snorted, unconvinced. “Wait, what the hell? Why so young?”

“She’s an idol. That means her career is incredibly demanding towards women and puts emphasis on feminine youth in a shallow and a misogynistic way.”

The other three did a double take. “ _What?!_ How can you be so insightful towards women’s struggles like that, but be a horrible disrespectful pervert _at the same time?!”_

Okajima puffed his chest out. “I’m a _man_ , dammit. A cultured and intelligent man, but a _man_ all the same.”

“Please stop...” Sugaya muttered as Chiba launched another wrapper at the pervert’s head.

Nakamura grinned, stretching her arms. “Relax, guys. Just let him fantasize. Terasaka would get an 100% on a science test before Okajima even gets a kiss from a girl, let alone an idol.”

“Nakamura!”

Chiba smiled pleasantly, patting his shoulder. “It’s okay, man. It’s a big world and I’m sure _somewhere_ out there, there’s a girl that won’t find you freakishly repulsive.”

“Screw all of you!” He groaned. “I don’t deserve this.”

“Oh, shit, our stop is here,” Sugaya announced, quickly getting up. The others stood as well, gathering their belongings and trash before stepping out onto the platform.

Suddenly, Nakamura nudged Okajima. “Oh my god, look over there. I think that’s the rapper of Cherry Bomb! Miya, right?” She whispered.

_“What?!”_ Okajima’s eyes bulged out of his head. “You’re kidding, right? Ohh man, this is great! Where is-?”

Nakamura pointed behinds him. “Over there!”

He swiveled around so quickly, he almost got whiplash. “Mya-chan-!” He called, before stopping at the sight of a rugged elderly man, grumpily reading a newspaper. The man glanced up and frowned at him.

Okajima mouthed an apology and turned back to his laughing friends, his eye twitching. “I need some new friends,” he spoke with the most seriousness they’d ever heard from him. 

Sugaya threw an arm around him. “You love us anyways!”

Okajima rolled his eyes, a faint smile on his face. “Yeah, whatever.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This one is a bit short...it was just for fun because I love these characters and their dynamic, and I'm always down for giving Okajima more characterization beyond being a pervert. The idol group Okajima talks about is purely fake. I have a weak spot for the friendship dynamic between Sugaya, Chiba, and Okajima (sorry Mimura ily).


	5. After School Club

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Some of their classmates are saddened hearing about how Karma and Kayano both grew up too fast and missed out on the simple experience of joining a club. So they try to fix it.  
> Part 1 of this storyline

“Hey, Kayano?”

“Hm?” She looked up from her manuscript, turning her head expectantly to the right, where Sugino was casually tossing a baseball back and forth into the air. The two of them were sitting on the steps outside of the classroom, waiting for the rest of their friends to pack up.

“Was there some kind of drama club or theater stuff at your old school?”

She stiffened slightly. “Um, there was, but I couldn’t really join it. I had acting _work_ , you know?” Her grip on the manuscript tightened.

Sugino stopped what he was doing and threw the ball into his bag with a frown. “Wait, so you’ve never gotten to do it for _fun_? With _friends_?” He asked, a note of disbelief in his tone.

“It’s not as bad as I make it sound, honestly. I love acting! It’s just...always been more of a job,” she replied, tucking the stack of papers away.

“But it shouldn’t _just_ be that,” Sugino insisted. “Like I love baseball and want to pursue it professionally, but more than that, it’s a way to have fun and goof off with friends.” He gestures towards her. “That’s why clubs are fun! The same goes for acting, you know!”

“Sugino, I-”

“Hold up, what’s this I hear?” A new voice joined in, and they looked up to see Nakamura standing over them, her arms crossed. “Our Kayano-chan has _never_ been apart of a club?!”

“Nope!” Sugino answered before Kayano could even open her mouth. “ _And_ she thinks it’s totally fine. Unbelievable, right?”

“Completely!” Nakamura exclaimed, aghast.

“And you know what, Kayano, forget what I said earlier. You don’t need to just join a club that is something you’re aiming for in the future,” Sugino added.

“That’s right. I used to be in the Amateur Radio Club,” Nakamura admitted with a shrug. “I like technology and all, but you know I want to do something in languages.”

She sighed, reminiscing. “Besides, you guys have no idea how awesome it was, harassing those losers who had never been two feet within distance of a girl before.”

“Not to mention, I was in a music club,” Nagisa suddenly chimed in.

“Oh, hey Na - _where the hell did you come from?_ ”

He continued with a smile. “It was fun, learning an instrument. But it’s definitely not something I’m looking to pursue.”

“Oh, wow...” Great, Kayano internally thought. Now Nagisa was apart of this conversation-turned-intervention.

“But, Kayano, you’ve really never been apart of a club before?”

Kayano sighed. “No...I never had the time for them...or to even hang out with my friends, really.”

“ _Seriously?!_ ” Sugino and Nakamura cried.

Nagisa’s brow furrowed. “Kayano, that’s awful! You’re still a kid like us at the end of the day.”

Kayano lowered her gaze, thinking back to how rare it was that she got even _half_ a day to spend with her sister. All the times she had to politely turn down her classmates’ invitations to hang out, scrambling to do her homework in between scenes...

Her expression said too much, because Nakamura’s face fell a moment later. “Oh, Kayano-chan...” She tackled the smaller girl into a crushing hug, which Sugino and Nagisa joined as well.

Kayano felt warmth burst into her chest under the group embrace and the empty feeling of loneliness began to dissipate. She shut her eyes and buried her face into Nakamura’s shoulder. “You guys...”

“Uh, wow...are you guys okay?” They broke apart to see a confused Karma standing a couple feet away. As usual, he had a strawberry milk in his hand.

Nakamura’s lips curved. “Speaking of kids who never joined any clubs, it’s our dear Karma.”

Karma raised an eyebrow. “What’s this about?” He drawled.

Nagisa decided to fill him in. “Kayano has never been apart of a club or spent time with friends a lot, because she was too busy with acting work.”

“Oh.”

Kayano sat up a bit straighter. “I _was_ trying to make an income,” she argued. “What about you, Karma?”

Sugino snorted. “Beating the shit out of delinquents.” Nakamura elbowed him. “Ow! I’m not trying to be an asshole but -”

Karma shrugged. “Nah, it’s true.” He smiled crookedly. “But in a way, I was still being productive.”

“Yeah, you were _taking out the trash_ ,” Nagisa deadpanned, quoting him. “Everyday, apparently.”

Karma stretched his arms behind his head. “Well, it’s not like I really had friends to go to. Before ending up here, at least.” He spoke in such a casual tone that is sounded forced to Kayano’s ears. Her chest tightened. _Oh, Karma..._

Nakamura tensed and looked down, while Nagisa stared at Karma, who looked away. Sugino sighed softly before speaking up. “Well, I know what we _gotta_ do now.”

“And what’s that?” Karma questioned.

“Make a club just for you guys!” Nakamura answered confidently.

“What is it even gonna be about?” Kayano questioned.

“You two, _duh_!”

Sugino chimed in. “But it’s different from hanging out because each time, Karma or Kayano will pick what to do. It’s totally up to them.”

“We can make a secret handshake!” Nakamura exclaimed. “And our own language!”

“Yeah! We’re making up for lost time!”

“But what should the name be?” Nagisa asked, with a huge smile on his face.

Nakamura paused in her excitement. “Oooh, let’s leave that up to them to pick.”

Karma and Kayano had been quiet, taking everything in. They snapped out of their trance, once Nakamura gestured to them. “Hmm...how about something to do with our names?” Kayano offered.

Nakamura’s eyes lit up. “Like a ship name?”

_“No.”_ She was shut down instantly by everyone.

“They both start with K...and we both like sweets...” That was a bit of a lie now, but she _had_ been known for her love of desserts. “Fuck it, let’s just call this the Kit Kat club.”

Karma hummed. “It’s not bad.”

“I like it,” Nakamura declared, stretching her arm outwards. “To the Kit Kat Club!”

Nagisa put his hand atop hers. “To Karma and Kayano!”

Sugino was next. “To the workaholic and delinquent who need reminders that they’re still goddamn kids!”

Kayano was next, and Karma put his hand right over hers. “To us,” he said quietly, his face neutral but his eyes shining with amusement.

Kayano smiled, first at him then everyone else in their circle. “To us!”


	6. A Study Session for Idiots

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In hindsight, they should've known better. Chaotic dumb athletes can never be trusted alone.  
> Aka Sugino, Maehara, Okano, and Kimura attempt to hold a study session amongst themselves.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is an old piece of mine on my main blog, but I still love it so much and wanted to share it here. I have the biggest soft spot for these four and this imaginary friendship.

“So all diatomic elements are automatically non-polar.” Kimura glanced up after no one responded. “Right?”

“ _Right_ ,” Okano affirmed with a nod. The gymnast was standing in the middle of the living room, holding her right leg above her head in what looked like a very disturbing manner. Kimura was still amazed by her flexibility, despite having witnessed her odd studying practices so often. _I learn better when I do stretches_ , she claimed. 

Sprawled out on the couch was Sugino, tossing a baseball back and forth into the air while reciting English phrases under his breath. Maehara was kneeling on the ground by the coffee table, intently scribbling down notes into his history binder. 

It was the day before midterm exams, and the group of athletes were holding an impromptu study session at Kimura’s house. It seemed almost perfect when he first brought it up. They could all assist one another with certain subjects. Okano was the strongest in science, Maehara was a math wiz, Kimura was pretty solid in social studies, and Sugino got good grades in Japanese. The perfect balance…except it wasn’t.

They lasted five minutes trying to each become a teacher, before they gave up and simply individually studied. It’s not like they were trying to be uncooperative, at least in Kimura’s opinion. It just wasn’t working out, especially with Okano and Sugino’s stronger personalities, Maehara’s overly lax attitude, and Kimura’s own anxiety about the upcoming test.

They were athletes, ok? They bonded over sports, movement, energy, and being impulsive dumbasses. Not academics.

“Shit!” Kimura looked up at the sound of the first Japanese word that Sugino said in over ten minutes. The baseball player was rummaging through his bag and folders restlessly. “I don’t have the notes we took in Social Studies on Wednesday.”

Okano finally unfolded herself from whatever body-bending position she was in, and opened her own bag. She flipped through her notebook before giving him a small frown. “Damn, I don’t think I have them either.”

“You don’t want her notes anyways, bro,” Maehara chimed in, still learning over his work on the table. “Last time, I borrowed some from her for an English quiz, and I got even _worse_ marks-”

He was cut off by a pillow to his head, effectively shutting him up. “That was all you, dumbass!” Okano protested. “Everything I wrote came straight from Bitch-sensei herself!”

“Still doesn’t change the fact that you have _such shitty handwriting_!” Another pillow was thrown.

Sugino carded a hand through his hair, slightly amused by the exchange. “Kimura?”

“I got you, man.” He was already holding out his notebook, which Sugino took with a grateful smile. Kimura returned back to the chemistry textbook he was reading from. He read about two sentences on electronegativity before Sugino spoke up again.

“Dude?”

“Yeah?”

“What the hell is this?” Sugino asked, making a sound that was half-laughter, half-choking. He was pointing to a page in the notebook with _extremely_ messy writing.

“It’s the notes from Wednesday!”

Sugino shook his head slowly while Okano and Maehara snickered. “I don’t think _you_ can even understand what you wrote.” 

The notebook was shoved into Kimura’s face. “Like, what are these shapes on the side? Did you make your own code?” The other two had burst into laughter by this point. 

Kimura snatched his notebook indignantly, willing his face not to redden. “It’s not a fucking code. I’ll explain it to you, idiot!”

His eyes scanned over each letter, then back to the corresponding shapes right beside them. “The square obviously stands for…”

He trailed off before lifting his gaze back up. “Shit, I have no clue.”

Sugino’s hands flew up to his face as he dramatically fell back onto the couch. “We’re so screwed.”

Okano grabbed the notebook from him, flipping through the pages. “Wow, this doesn’t even look like Japanese,” she commented.

“No, it’s Social Studies.” All three of them sent a fierce glare towards Maehara and his poorly-timed joke. The playboy simply shrugged with a not-so-innocent grin. 

Kimura frowned. “Dude, what are you even working on? You’ve been writing stuff down in that book for the last twenty minutes, barely saying a word to anyone.”

“It’s nothing, really!” Maehara assured him, although it was obvious he was lying. He made a move to close his book but he was too slow, as Sugino grabbed it from under him in one swift motion.

“Ideas on how to impress ‘Maki-chan,’ He read in a deadpan voice. “One, take her to the park after sunset. Nothing’s more romantic than a night in each other’s presence surrounded by childhood nostalgia. Two, bring her with me to Keiko’s party-”

“YOU SLEAZY BASTARD!” In less than a second, Maehara was sent flying two meters away, crashing into one of them sofas. Okano stood righteously, her arms crossed and eyes filled with annoyance.

“Ow!” Maehara whined, sitting up in a sea of pillows and cushions that had been knocked over. “What the hell was that for?!”

Sugino threw another pillow at him, earning another shout from the soccer player. “Dude! We’re working our asses off for this exam, and you’re making _date plans!_ ”

“Don’t hate me for having a love life!”

Kimura snorted. “Maehara, your love life is literally going on a date, maybe two if you’re lucky, then breaking up, and then the cycle continues. Actually, it’s mostly just you getting dumped.”

“…Screw all of you,” was Maehara’s dejected response.

So, a study session between athletes was a bad idea. Clearly. After another half-hour of panicking and roasting Maehara, they decided to call up Korosensei and tell him of their predicament. He arrived in ten minutes with four different copies of the notes they each needed, gently lectured them on responsibility and organization, then promptly left with a “ _Nurfurufurufu~! Good luck!_ ”

The next day, Kimura anxiously glanced to his left at Okano and Maehara respectively. The playboy’s demeanor was as casual as ever, but the bags under his eyes told a different story. His hands were also slightly shaking, most likely from all the caffeine he’d consumed during his all-nighter.

Okano fidgeted in her seat, the lack of room for mobility bothering her immensely. He could relate a lot to that, being a kinesthetic learner himself. He’d woken up earlier than usual to go on an extended run. 

He turned around slightly to see Sugino in a mini-huddle with Nagisa and Kayano. They were probably doing some last-minute fact-sharing. The baseball player caught his gaze and flashed him a bright smile. 

_Well, here’s to hoping for the best_ …Kimura thought to himself as he received the ominous blank test.

And by some miracle, they found out a couple days later, that all four of them managed to get decent scores. Well, by their standards, anyway.

They were athletes, ok? They bonded over sports, movement, energy, and being impulsive dumbasses. _Not_ _academics._


	7. Like It

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Group 4 girls are hanging out, and Kanzaki gives her friends quite a bit of a surprise. Or in the words of Kayano, "A fucking heart attack."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Basically a sweet fic of the girls, badass Kanzaki, and a subtle character study through the perspective of Kayano. Also background angst for Okuda.

“Kayano-san!” Okuda squealed as she opened her door, coming face to face with the actress. A bright smile adorned her face as she gently pulled her inside. “I missed you _so_ _much!_ ”

Kayano grinned and embraced her tightly, burying her face into Okuda’s dark locks which smelled faintly of honey. “I missed you way more! I’m so glad we could hang out today.”

It was the first time in a few months where Kayano had a relatively free schedule. Since she’d gone back into the acting business, her daily life spun around filming sets, manuscripts, orders from directors, constant coffee to stay alive...

Doing anything to keep her mind off the things that truly hurt...like Aguri...and Korosensei...

She was aware it wasn’t healthy. Her therapist had mentioned that enough times to her, and she came to the conclusion herself. But acting was a big piece of who she was, and she’d be damned if she ever let it go.

She wasn’t even sure if she _could_.

Okuda released her, stepping back with a shy smile as she adjusted her glasses. “I hope the train ride was okay? I’m sorry, I know my house is pretty far...”

Kayano waved her off. “No, no, it was totally fine! I just listened to music and got to relax. And my mask did a good job of hiding my face.” She smirked, giving a light tug to her pink “kawaii-bear” themed mask.

The chemist’s face lit up again. “I’m so glad! And oh, come in!” She immediately scooted to the side of the doorway, allowing space for Kayano to enter.

Kayano pulled off her sneakers and gently placed them on the shoe rack, her lime green striped socks now visible. She tugged off the mask with a content sigh as Okuda shut the door, grateful for some privacy. She felt a relief from the constant anxiety of being caught by fans. She shoved her mask into her bag and politely followed Okuda through the corridor of the house. 

It was average-sized, which she could tell from the outside. Okuda’s family was reasonably middle-class, given that they were pharmacists. Still, they seemed to settle for a smaller house as their 3-resident home.

“Kanzaki-san texted me, saying that she’s running a bit late,” Kayano heard Okuda say, but her attention was fixed on her surroundings.

The hallway was lined with shiny, polished wooding. It almost looked as if it had been barely walked on. 

More than that, though, a slight scent of anti-septics filled the air. It was subtle and faint, yet easily reached Kayano’s nose by the third step she took. 

Overall, so far, Okuda’s house did not feel like a cozy, welcoming abode. It was such a sharp contrast to her as a person, a sweetheart.

Okuda glanced over at her, a spark of recognition in her eyes. As if she could read Kayano’s mind, she spoke, “I know...it feels very lonely here.”

_Oh, shit._ “Okuda-san?”

The bespectacled girl sighed as she led them to a sitting room, near what Kayano presumed to be the kitchen. They both sat on the couch, close to one another. “No one is really here, except me most of the time. And even that’s changed since 3-E...and making so many friends.” She ducked her head slightly after the last word, her face reddening.

Kayano felt her chest tighten.

She reached over and gently took Okuda’s hand, clasping it in her own. “It’s okay, Okuda-san. I know exactly how you feel. My house was always empty too, just me and my sister. And then...she...”

_Dammit, why does this keep happening?_ Kayano hated that she could barely speak about Aguri without her voice breaking, her throat closing, feeling like she was about to shatter-

Before she could utter another word, Okuda gently pulled her hand out of her grip and embraced the girl in another hug. A different hug. One that was warm, comforting, and so filled with compassion, and yet it still made Kayano feel like crying.

“My loneliness is nothing compared to Kayano-san’s,” Okuda whispered. “I’m sorry. Please don’t feel like you’re still alone anymore though. We all love you.”

Kayano wiped her eyes with a smile, pulling back gently. “Thanks, Okuda-san. The same goes double for you, you know.” 

She playfully pinched Okuda’s cheeks, earning a sharp squeal. “We _need_ our adorable mad scientist.”

Okuda slapped her hands away with a huff. “And we _need_ our evil pudding-loving actress.”

Kayano laughed, stopping when she felt a faint grumble from her stomach. “Ooh, speaking of food...”

Okuda chuckled, an apologetic smile on her lips. “Sorry, we don’t have pudding...but tons of healthy snacks?”

“Oh, that’s way better. I need to be watching my diet now actually.”

Okuda rolled her eyes fondly, rising and walking into the kitchen, her guest following behind like a lost puppy. “Please, you’ll always stay a toothpick.”

“Actually I’m on my way to becoming a _muscular_ toothpick.”

“Oh?”

Kayano shrugged. “I have my personal trainer Kimi to thank. But gym sessions with Terasaka also help a little.”

“Terasaka-kun? Really?”

“Yeah, the big oaf knows _a ton_ about fitness and muscle-building,” Kayano replied, pride in her tone. “Sugino and Kataoka, too! They’ve all been great help.”

Okuda smiled, setting down the various bowls she’d been preparing onto one tray. “That’s great to hear!”

A bowl of apple slices, a platter of crackers and cheese, a bowl of strawberries accompanied by two tiny forks, and some clementines were spread onto the tray. She carried it into the living room and the two girls happily resumed their conversation while munching on snacks.

About twenty minutes later, the bowls and plates were all basically empty. Kayano was laying upside down, her feet dangling off the top of the couch as her hair fell against the floor. She was clutching her stomach. “I think I ate too fast...”

Okuda was laying on her side over by the opposite end of the sofa, arms wrapped around her abdomen. “Ugh, me too...”

“I wonder what’s taking Kanzaki-san so long...” she muttered.

Kayano sat up properly, flipping herself up from her position. “Me too...I hope she’s okay.” A jolt of anxiety went through her at all the possible issues Kanzaki could be going through. 

Just as the words left her mouth, the doorbell rang, its sound echoing through the foyer. 

Both girls exchanged dumbfounded glances for a moment before jumping up. “She’s here!” 

They dashed through the hallway as safely as they could, since both of them were clad in socks. Okuda unlocked and flung the door open as fast as she could.

“Kanzaki-!” 

They cut themselves off almost instantly, their jaws dropping at the sight before them. Kayano felt her brain momentarily numb.

And then she was back to reality and found her voice again. 

“WHO ARE YOU?!”

Kanzaki laughed good-naturedly, one hand resting on her bag that slung from her shoulder. The other hand was running through her silky locks...which were no longer their usual raven color.

No, her hair was now a shade of stormy blue. All over, not just tips or ombre.

“Wow! Kanzaki-san, it looks beautiful!” Okuda exclaimed. 

Kanzaki beamed and hugged her, leaning over quite a bit to do so since she was wearing healed boots. “Thank you, Okuda-san. It’s so good to see you again!”

The two of them began chatting, still holding each other as Kayano was still somewhat in shock.

She knew of Kanzaki’s 2nd year phase, yes... But hearing about it was _entirely_ different from seeing it, especially so suddenly. 

Kanzaki glanced back at her with a grin and waved her over. “Kayano-san, I haven’t seen you in forever and you still haven’t said hi!” A fake, over-exaggerated pout was present in her tone.

Kayano arched a brow. “Sorry, but I’m not sure I _know_ you,” she replied dryly, in true acting fashion yet she wrapped her arms around Kanzaki regardless.

This earned a laugh from the gamer girl. Kanzaki hugged her back warmly, one hand cupping the back of Kayano’s head. “Do you like it?” 

“Like it?” Kayano repeated, a smile breaking out on her face. “I love it so goddamn much!”

She really did. The icy shade of blue that reminded her of swirling sea thunderstorms looked gorgeous on Kanzaki. It suited her complexion, and totally complimented the shade of chestnut in her eyes.

“Do your parents know...?” 

Kanzaki shrugged, a flash of defiance in her eyes. “No, and I don’t really care what they think. It’s _my_ hair, _my_ appearance, _my_ image. They don’t matter.”

“Spoken like a true badass.” Kayano smirked.

She gently touched a strand of her hair, the faint blue now between her fingers. “It looks amazing,” she said softly, stepping back as they both released each other.

Kanzaki shyly smiled, her cheeks slightly pink. “Thank you.”

Kayano scoffed. “But I won’t lie and say you didn’t give me a fucking heart attack for a second there.”

Kanzaki burst into laughter again with Okuda. 

“Kayano-san!” She admonished half-heartedly.

“What? You know what I’m saying! Last time we saw Kanzaki-san, she was dressed like a church girl with her black hair up in a chignon. And now, she’s-” Kayano gestured to her. “-this!”

Kanzaki’s laughter increased as she doubled over. “A church girl-”

Okuda joined her, a hand clutching her stomach as she giggled. “Kayano-san, stop making me laugh.”

Kayano flipped her hair dramatically. “Can’t help it. I’m just so funny.”

Kanzaki’s laughter died down as she playfully shoved Kayano. “Aaaaaand it’s over. Not anymore.”

“You’re mean!” Kayano pouted. A thought occurred to her. “Wait, weren’t you brining pudding?”

Kanzaki looked puzzled. “I thought you had some, Okuda-san?”

Okuda face-palmed. “Oh no.”

_“NOOOOOOOOOO!”_ Kayano wailed as over-the-top as she could. 

“It’s fine!” Okuda tried to mediate. “We can just get some more at the convenience store a couple blocks away.”

“But I just got here,” Kanzaki whined. “I haven’t even taken my shoes off.”

Kayano grabbed her upper arm. “All the more reason you should come. You’re already ready to leave!”

She groaned. “Alright, fine, you maniac.” She shot a dull glare at Kayano, who responded with a bright grin. “I’ll pay, too.”

“Yay!” The other two cheered. 

Okuda locked the door while the other two waited for her at the front steps. “Sooo~” Kayano cooed. “Tell me all the high school drama going in for you girls.”

Kanzaki mimicked her tone. “Only if you tell me all the drama going on in the acting world~”

“Yeah, tell us everything, Kayano-san~” Okuda sang, joining them. 

The three girls set out walking, arms linked. The sun was just starting to set as it approached evening time, a golden glow casted above everything. The air was only slightly chill, a refresher to all of them.

“Oh, where do I even start? Okay, so the main lead in the swan movie? The guy I told you about? He _actually_ ended up being a...”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is so self-indulgent hahaha. I just adore these girls!


	8. Strawberry Dilemma

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Karma gets a little unhinged without his daily strawberry drink. Rio suffers dealing with his overdramatic self.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Requested by @ezuri on tumblr
> 
> "There is one vending machine in the E class building and it never gets restocked so the supplies just dwindle and dwindle. The fated day comes when there is no more strawberry milk and someone gets to it before karma does and he just goes on a manhunt for the milk"

“Karma, what are you doing?” Nakamura asks as she hovers over him, hands shoved in her pockets casually. The tone of her voice sounds bored, but he doesn’t need to look up to see the slight raise of her eyebrow and subtle smirk that indicates interest.

He keeps his eyes focused on what’s below him, his body stiff in a crouched position. “I’m looking for something important.”

“Looking for _what_?” She scoffs, finally kneeling down to reach his level. “You’re staring at our classmates while they eat lunch. Dude, I like weird…but this is just _creepy_.”

Karma turns to grin at her. “Well, creeping people out _is_ my specialty.”

“You sound a little too proud to be saying something like that.”

He waves her off, returning his gaze to the mass cluster of 3-E that was sitting outside the front entrance of the building. Most were simply on the open grass, chatting as they ate. Others sat on the steps, exchanging snacks. A few, mostly Terasaka and his gang, were resting by the large rocks that sat a short distance away. The weather was perfect outside, and everyone chose to spend lunch outside, even the teachers.

Finally, Karma decides to just tell her what it is. He’s not ashamed of his fixation and he could use an extra pair of sharp eyes. 

He sighs. “Someone took the last strawberry milk in the vending machine. And I’m out here scoping to see who it is.”

There’s silence as Nakamura stares at him incredulously. Eventually, she just breaks into laughter. “Oh my god, you’re _ridiculous_.”

He scowls and lightly shoves her arm. “This is a serious matter.”

“No it’s not!” She wheezes, leaning forward gasping for breath as her laughter starts to subside. She wipes a tear from her eyes. “And what are you gonna _do_ when you catch who it is? Make them pay for your strawberry milk withdrawal?”

That last statement makes her burst out laughing again, this time doubling over and almost collapsing on a very irritated Karma. He pushes her away. “I’ll get them back for taking it.”

“Karma.” She stops and looks up at him skeptically. “You do know that the strawberry milks _aren’t_ just for you, right? It’s a public vending machine.”

“Yeah, well, everyone _knows_ that I drink them the most-”

“So get your own then!” She exclaims. “Use that fancy rich-boy money and buy all the strawberry milks you want.”

“WELL, NOW I WILL DO THAT!” Karma yells back. “Because _clearly_ , I can’t trust our class with _anything_!”

He takes a deep breath, leaning his head on his palm as he stares out at the open expanse of trees and sky in front of him, willing himself to calm down over…a lack of strawberry milk. It really _isn’t_ a big deal but _still_ : that strawberry drink is equivalent to coffee for him. It’s what keeps him 5% _sane_. 

He turns back to her, feeling uneasy with the stretch of silence that was between them now. “Nakamura?”

Nakamura has stopped paying attention to him, a small smirk on her face as she looks down. 

Karma frowns. “What?”

“I think I found your precious strawberry milk.”

~~

Kimura is having a _great_ day, for once. 

He woke up early and gotten a nice run in the morning, with plenty of time to make his favorite smoothie. He got a decent grade in History, his worst subject! He finally had a lengthy conversation with Kurahashi without panicking halfway!

_Life is good,_ he thinks to himself, taking another sip of his drink.

Oh, yes: the “cherry on top…” Well, more like the strawberry on top.

He’d finally gotten the chance to buy one of the strawberry milks in the vending machine, getting to it before Karma did. Kimura bought it during a trip to the bathroom in Math class, sneakily hiding it in his blazer when he returned to the room.

And now, sitting with the Art Trio and a couple others on the steps, he can relish the sweet, sugary taste of it. _No wonder Karma likes these so much._

Things can’t get any better.

Kimura is just about to answer Okajima’s question on some movie they’re talking about…when all of a sudden a fist grabs his collar and he’s yanked forward. 

“What the hell?” Kimura yelps, his feet now dangling in the air. A lump forms in his throat when he realizes that the redheaded maniac of their class is holding him. “K-Karma?”

He can hear shouts and gasps from their classmates around them. _Oh, shit, I’m gonna die._

Karma just laughs good-naturedly, like he’s not manhandling the 5′3 sprinter at all. “No worries, Kimura-kun~ I just wanna talk.”

“Can you put him down and “talk”?” Okano asks dryly, crossing her arms. A very tired Kayano does the same right beside her.

“Nope,” Karma says simply, earning eye-rolls from more than one person.

His fist tightens around Kimura’s shirt and the smaller boy can’t help but let out another shout. Karma laughs again, sounding more and more unhinged by the second. “Let’s talk about how you bought the _last_ strawberry milk.”

Karma leans forward, a sharp glint in his eyes. “Why’d you do it? Huh, Kimura-kun? Tell me.”

“I-I didn’t know you had dibs on it. I thought it would be fine if I just-”

“But you _see_ me buying and drinking them everyday, right?”

Kimura is saved from having to answer that. “Karma, put him down!” Karasuma yells from the entrance, giving him a sharp look of disapproval.

“But-”

_“Now.”_

Karma sighs and drops Kimura, who lets out a breath he didn’t know he’d been holding. The redhead flashes him another glare. “You _will_ make it up to me somehow.” With that, Karma sticks his hands in his pockets and walks away, clearly very agitated.

The class is quiet. Suddenly, Chiba’s voice cuts through. “Dude…you’re gonna die. Either literally or by humiliation.”

Kimura groans, accepting his fate.

~~

Five days later, he’s running for his life on the streets of Tokyo. His feet skid against the cement as he narrowly escapes the reach of the delinquents. 

“Hey, get back here, brat!”

“You’re gonna pay for what you said!”

He leads them to a back-alley, hopping over the fence and flashing a signal to Karma, who is hiding in the shadows. The redhead presses a button on a remote and chocolate frosting erupts all over the thugs, coating them.

“WHAT THE HELL?”

“WHERE DID THIS COME FROM?!”

“DAMN YOU, AKABANE!”

The two 3-E students have already left, fleeing back to the open streets to hide amongst the crowd. Karma is laughing his ass off from the prank, but laughs even harder at Kimura’s spooked expression.

“Haha, wasn’t that _amazing_?”

“It was,” Kimura starts, crouching down to catch his breath from all the running he’d done. “But how long do I have to keep helping you with pranks?”

Karma smirks. “You know our deal. You help me whenever I ask…until the vending machine re-stocks with strawberry milk.”

“That’ll never happen,” Kimura sighs.

“Guess you’re stuck with me forever then~” Karma sings. “Now get up. It’s time to go get some more wasabi paste.”


	9. Family

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Korosensei was a good teacher.  
> He could list a thousand reasons why, but the most important one was…how much Korosensei cared. It was shown in obvious ways, of course, but Nagisa couldn’t help but notice the little things. The things that no one really bothered to notice, because they were so subtle.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Nagisa quietly observes and admires his teacher, and what their classroom has become.

Korosensei was a good teacher.

That was the consensus that most people shared, but in Nagisa and all of 3-E’s opinion, he was the _best_ teacher.

He could list a thousand reasons why, but the most important one was…how much Korosensei cared. He put an immeasurable amount of effort in looking after his students, their wellbeing, and their success.

It was shown in obvious ways, of course, but Nagisa couldn’t help but notice the little things. The things that no one really bothered to notice, because they were so subtle.

One day, Kimura’s desk kept shaking a bit. He didn’t outright complain, just focused on what he was doing with a slight furrow of his brow. It wasn’t loud either, meaning class wasn’t disrupted. The very next day, his desk was fixed up, good as new. In fact, every desk got a shiny cleaning. Korosensei didn’t say anything, simply went on with lessons as usual. Nagisa eyed him curiously as he took out his books and placed them on his basically-new desk.

He saw it again when some of the girls saw packs of brand new gardening gloves by Bitch-sensei’s purse. They had instantly jumped her with hugs, ecstatic. Bitch-sensei couldn’t get a word out, just confusedly silent as they pulled her outside. Nagisa joined them and laughed as Okano made the blonde try on the gloves and help them plant bulbs in.

It was only when he glanced back at the classroom and saw Korosensei quietly lingering by the doorway, that he realized who actually bought the gloves.

It was the little ways, like how he sharpened twenty pencils every morning and left them at his desk for students to use throughout the day. How he had a basket stocked with snacks that he never allowed himself to touch, as they were for students who felt light-headed. It was how he gently steadied a clumsy Takebayashi with one of his tentacles when the boy stumbled walking up the mountain. It was how he gave Kanzaki a sun-hat to wear one day when she felt dizzy from the heat. 

The family-analogy came up thanks to Sugino, one day when Nagisa was helping him practice his pitches. They were talking about how the close the class became compared to the first day.

“It’s crazy how we’re basically a family now,” he had said, causing Nagisa to slightly falter and miss the ball.

“You really think so?” He asked, scrambling to grab it and toss back.

Sugino caught it with ease, a grin forming on his face. “A family doesn’t have to be a mom, dad and two kids,” He laughed. “It can be a government agent, a bitchy assassin, an octopus teacher, and 28 kids.”

It had been a joke, but there was so much truth to it.

The next day as class was ending, Korosensei dismissed everyone. He was passing out graded tests as students walked out, rings of goodbye filling the air. 

He packed up his bag, waving to his friends to continue on. “I have a question about my test,” he called to them, and they shrugged, obliging. 

Once the class was empty, Nagisa stood, clearing his throat. “Sir?”

Korosensei suddenly appeared right in front of him. “Yes, Nagisa-kun? You wanted to discuss your test?”

Nagisa clutched the test a bit tighter. It was an English one, and a bright red 97 was scrawled on the front. His lips curved up a bit, warmth bubbling up in his chest. “Actually no…”

“Hm?”

“What do you think of our class? Do you think we’re coming together?” He faltered slightly. “Do you think we’ll be able to assassinate you?”

Korosensei was quiet for a brief moment, before he spoke. “Yes, I do. I have full faith in all my students that they will be able to handle the task given to them. You all have shown your second blades, and you are not at all the failures the school system assumed you would be.”

Nagisa felt his chest tighten.

He continued. “As for your first questions, I can see how much we have all changed as individuals, and our dynamics amongst the class. When the year began, there was so little harmony and everyone’s motivation was solely based on the assassination. But you all grew and gave yourselves renewed strength to face academics and whatever life will throw at you.”

“And you were the main cause of it!” Nagisa pointed out.

Korosensei shook his head slightly. “I was, and am here to guide you. But all of you built yourselves and each other up just by sharing your talents and strengths. And I don’t just mean strengths from academics or assassination.” He gently patted Nagisa’s hair with a tentacle. “Each of you are special and have so much to contribute with your personalities and values.”

A smile formed on Nagisa’s lips, and an overwhelming surge of emotion flooded through him. Not for the first time, he felt torn between wanting to make Korosensei proud…and wanting him to stay alive, with them for as long as they could. 

“Thank you, sir…I also feel the same way about how we’ve grown closer” His cheeks heated up a little. “Like…a family.”

Korosensei was quiet until Nagisa quickly added. “A _very_ unconventional family.”

He laughed. “Yes, I do think that’s best comparison for what 3-E is…” he trailed off slightly, his tone light yet carrying weight at the same time. “It’s a home for those who need one.”

“And everyone can trust and rely on each other,” Nagisa stated quietly.

“Always.”


	10. My Hero?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chiba and Hayami find themselves in a scary situation. Maehara comes to help.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> DHJKSL this is crack but was super fun to write. Came from a prompt on my blog
> 
> "Did you just throw your shoe at it?" with Chiba, Hayami, and Maehara

_Boom!_

Another bullseye.

Chiba gave himself a satisfied smile as he prepared to reload his gun, leaning down to grab some ammo from the box sitting by his feet.

It was a free period, and he’d spent a good portion of it doing some work and hanging out with his friends. But now, he’d decided to be even more productive and use the remaining 20 minutes to do some target practice.

And he was _glad_ he did. He was immensely happy with the consistently accurate results he’d been getting.

A few meters beside him, his partner seemed to be doing just as well. Hayami had a rare smile on her face as she aimed again, a perfect hit to be expected.

Chiba refilled his ammo and got into shooting position, extending his arms and keeping a sharp eye on the target. He rehearsed the same mental calculations he always did and his finger brushed against the trigger-

“Holy shit, Chiba! Get away from there!”

With more personal control and stability than should’ve been humanly capable, Chiba managed to _not_ pull the trigger and drew his gun back in surprise. “What the hell?!” 

Next to him, Hayami hurriedly stopped what she was doing. “What’s going on?” she demanded.

The owner of the voice was no other than Maehara, standing a good 10 meters away from them, in the front of the school building. 

Chiba internally groaned, feeling a spark of annoyance. “You better have a good reason for stopping me!” he called.

Then he felt a chill run down his spine at the look of genuine horror painted on Maehara’s face. That was _not_ common or expected…

“Chiba! Dude, there’s a snake right next to your feet!”

The words barely registered in Chiba’s head as he instantly looked down. And to his awe, there _was_ a snake right next to him. between his shoes and the ammo box. 

It was medium sized, so fairly large compared to most of the tiny snakes he was used to on the mountain. It was black and red with dangerous-looking yello stripes. It inched even closer to his foot.

Precisely 6 slow seconds passed by before Chiba processed this. And once he did, he let out the most shrill, terrified scream he could muster.

“AHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!”

He jumped back almost 4 meters, still yelling as he did so. “WHAT THE HELL?! THAT THING WASN’T THERE LITERALLY 2 MINUTES AGO!”

He almost bumped into poor Hayami, who seemed like she was still wrapping her head around what was going on. “Chiba, it’s okay! You’re far away from it now,” she tried to assure him.

“No, no, no, it’s still over there near my ammo, and it’s still _alive!_ ”

“It doesn’t _want_ to hurt us-”

Hayami spoke too soon. The snake turned towards them, and with a look of murder in its eyes, in Chiba’s opinion, it slunk towards them.

Hayami grabbed his wrist, surprise in her eyes and tension in her figure. “Um-”

This time, Chiba acted on instinct. In the span of 0.3 seconds, he pulled off his right sneaker and lobbed it right at the creature. “Take _that_ , asshole!”

It slowed the snake down, but didn’t seem to do any damage. Sadly.

“Did you just throw your shoe at it?” Hayami sighed.

“It was worth it,” Chiba replied resolutely, his left sock-clad foot tickled by the grass.

The sniper duo were just about accepting their fate: death by snake, when all of a sudden, Maehara returned.

“Don’t worry, guys! I got this!” Maehara yelled again, running towards them…carrying a giant butterfly net?

_“Where in hell did you get that from?!”_

“Korosensei let me borrow it!”

“Of course…”

Maehara waved the net dramatically, as if it were a sword. “Alright, both of you stand back. I’ll deal with this thing.”

Chiba and Hayami exchanged unimpressed-yet-curious glances. 

Maehara let out a whoop and swung the net towards the snake, catching it with the net effortlessly. 

“Woah!” Chiba’s eyes widened. He hadn’t actually expected him to be successful. 

Maehara held the net out, smirking at the wriggling snake inside of it. “Problem solved.”

“Well, thanks, man,” Chiba said gratefully, clasping his shoulder.

“I appreciate that,” Hayami chimed in, giving him a half-smile.

“Yeah, don’t mention i-it!” On the last word, his voice went up ten octaves. He immediately dropped the net with a cry. “HOLY FUCK, IT JUST RIPPED THROUGH THE NET!”

Chiba shrieked again, grabbing Hayami’s wrist and Maehara’s arm, leading them both away. “RUN!” 

All three teenagers sprinted back to the classroom, screaming for Karasuma. 


	11. Pieces

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gakushuu has a moment of reflection regarding his father, their relatonship, and the impact Korosensei had on their lives.
> 
> TW: mentions of past abuse, recovering

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Note: I am not excusing Gakuhou in the slightest. In my experience, there are a lot of complicated mixed feelings a child has towards their abusive parent, especially if they've grown up so long with it.

Gakushuu was never the type to be hopeful.

He was confident, assured in himself. And he supposed some of that attitude could be lent to certain people in his life who have proved themselves capable…such as his father - who was obvious - or his minions…and 3-E, begrudgingly.

He supposed he could come off as idealistic in terms of his goals, but it was only when he was certain things could end favorably for him. _Well…most of the time_ , he mused slightly bitterly, as he remembered the recent times of his third year in junior high.

The bottom line was: Gakushuu never extended any idealism or hopefulness towards _people_. His goals and actions within his control were one thing. But it was an entirely different matter to expect people to never disappoint him. Less than 1% of the world’s population was _close_ to his standard, after all. 

And maybe…a small part of him was resigned to lose hope completely in people thanks to the unconventional relationship he shared with his father. He had no expectation or desire to see it improve until the events of third year and Korosensei’s intervention, and his father’s seemingly new change. It simply seemed like a lost cause, a part of his life that would remain constant. It was all he ever knew in the fifteen years he’s lived so far.

Even now, as he sits at the table, the silk tablecloth brushing against his legs as he sits semi-uncomfortably watching his father mingle with some fellow businessman, Gakushuu still feels a sense of…despair? No, that’s not it. Despondency would be more appropriate, given their situation.

A part of him doesn’t want things to change. He wants it to go back to normal, when his father was his greatest rival. And he still is…but the hints of paternal affection make Gakushuu want to throw up sometimes. The anxiety that spikes into his chest at the slightest brush of a touch. The way he bites the inside of his cheek hard enough to draw blood when his father talks about grades.

He can see his father is trying hard. He can see his mother is trying hard. He knows his…friends are trying hard to support him. His classmates, teachers…but still, Gakushuu can’t bring himself to try along with everyone. _I can’t…or I won’t…?_

They’re at a Christmas party. His father is charming all the other guests, a flute of champagne resting comfortably in his hand. Gakushuu’s mother is hanging off his father’s other arm, giving a charming smile as she follows whatever her husband is spewing.

Gakushuu is away from his parents, after claiming his head was starting to hurt so he took a seat at a table in the corner, far away from any possible interaction for just a couple moments. Then he’d spruce up, give his best smile and play his part in their role as elites. Make some connections and whatnot.

He toys with one of the gaudy decorations sitting atop the tablecloth, suddenly wishing he was anywhere in the world but this party. His hand leaves the decoration to instead adjust his cuff link for the fifth time all night, a habit he’s always had since he was a child.

Broken families can be fixed. He knows that. But there’s a part of him that isn’t sure it’s possible with his own…and he hates that he’s contributing to his own doubt by his reluctance to _try_.

He catches a movement in his peripheral vision, and lifts his gaze up to see his father beckoning him with a small wave. There’s a smile on his face that’s not completely faked…and it makes Gakushuu’s stomach turn.

He rises up, swiftly tightening his tie once more before making his way to his parents. It doesn’t take long given his new height, and he reaches them in only a few long strides.

Gakushuu musters up his own pleasant expressions and chimes in whatever they’re talking about with the host…something about university. Good. He only needs to devote half of his attention to the conversation then. He already knows what he wants to do, thank you very much.

As the party host chatters on, Gakushuu allows his attention to casually glide across the room. The venue is bustling with socialites, entrepreneurs, the wealthiest and most influential of people. His eyes linger on the large window that sits in one of the walls. It shows the shining night sky, ablaze with stars. 

As well as a perfect view of the crescent moon.

Gakushuu feels his chest tighten the longer he stares at it, an unidentifiable feeling coursing through his veins. His mind jumps to what few pictures he’d seen of him. _Korosensei_.

The being who was partly responsible for the changes in Gakushuu’s life.

It was strange how someone who he had never even met…ended up having such a huge impact on him. He can’t help but feel a myriad of emotions towards the former teacher…the main ones being gratitude…admiration…and a hint of resentment.

A tiny immature part of Gakushuu screams inside, _if Korosensei hadn’t meddled with him, then we’d be back to normal! I wouldn’t have to deal with all this change!_

And then he feels shame immediately grow inside him like a poison. How can he blame someone who’s gone…how can he, as a _leader_ , be so afraid of change?

He knows why, and he hates it.

But as the searing bright whiteness of the moon…and the shape of its broken curve gets ingrained in Gakushuu’s mind, the feeling of resentment begins to dissipate.

Korosensei died after doing his best to improve Gakushuu’s life. Gakushuu Asano…someone who wasn’t his student - hell, he was _awful_ to the octopus’ own students - and yet, Korosensei kept him in his thoughts.

He saved his father’s life.

Gakushuu’s gaze darts back to his parents for a split second, who have been talking with the other adult amongst themselves for only a moment. The sight of them makes his breath catch.

If _Korosensei_ of all people could have hope for them…maybe Gakushuu can too…

It’ll take time, of course. An absurdly long time. But if he’s gonna take over the world one day, he’ll need patience and an open mind after all.


End file.
